Machine for making bolts and the like



June 2, 1936. w. 1.. CLOUSE 2,043,093

MACHINE'FOR MAKING BOLTS AND THE LIKE I Filed May 9, 1935 Z5 23 32 Z1 Z2 23 25 ISnnenfor W/Zl/A/V 1. 610065 88 //Z;Zf

' H (Ittornegs Patented June 2, 1936 UNITED STATES MACHINE FOR MAKING BOLTS AND THE LIKE William L. Clouse, Tiffin, Ohio, assignor to The National Machinery Company, Tiffin, Ohio, a

corporation of Ohio Application May 9, 1933, Serial No. 670,106

11 Claims.

This invention relates to machines'for making bolts and the like of the type wherein a plurality of operations are performed successively on blanks at different stations or dies, as in the machine disclosed in the copending application of Earl R. Frost, Serial No. 639,054, filed October 22, 1932, and is particularly concerned with blank-transfer mechanism for such machines.

The objects of this invention are to provide 10 an alternative form of transfer mechanism relatively to that disclosed in the application above noted and one which may be considered as being better adapted for certain installations and of a simpler construction; to mount the transfer 15 mechanism in such a manner that it may be readily and easily moved out of the way to permit access to the dies by simply disconnecting one driving link; and to slidably and rotatably suspend the carriage on a vertically oscillating rod 20 and both reciprocate the carriage and retain the same in the proper plane by a driving link.

In the drawing:- Figure l is a plan View of the forward end of a bolt making machine showing the transfer 25 mechanism of the present invention applied thereto; and

Figure 2 is sectional elevation taken substantially on the line 22; Figure 1.

Referring to the drawing in detail, I have il- 30 lustrated my invention in connection with a machine particularly designed for the manufacture of bolts, screws and the like, and of the type shown in the aforesaid copending application. The reference numeral 5 designates a bed frame of such a machine, having at its forward extremity a die breast 6. A header slide 1 is mounted to reciprocate longitudinally of the frame 5, and in order to carry out the process of bolt manufacture as set forth in the above application, said slide is provided with a plurality of punches 8, 9 and I adapted to cooperate with dies II, l2, and I3 in the breast plate 6. The die I I is an extrusion die into which the bolt blank is pressed by the punch 8 to reduce the diameter of the major portion of the blank; the die i2 is also an extrusion die for extruding the thread-receiving portion of the bolt shank, the cooperating punch 9 being a heading tool which presses the blank into the die and also upsets the previously unextruded portion to form a head; while the die I3 is a holding die which cooperates with the hollow trimming punch III, which trims the upset heads of the blanks to the desired polyg onal form.

It will be understood, of course, that any desired combination and types of punches and dies may be used, the improved transfer mechanism, a description of which follows, not being limited by the illustrated embodiment. It will also be understood that the general construction and type of the machine may be varied to suit the particular article being made.

Wire or rod stock S is fed through a guide I4 in the bed frame 5 and engages an adjustable stock gauge l5. A cut-off arm I6 of any suitable type is arranged to engage the stock, shear off blanks of the desired length and carry the same into alinement with the die I l Arm I6 is shown as being pivotally anchored to the bed frame 5 at I1 and is oscillated by a cam l8 contacting a cam roller l9 rotatably mounted at the one end of said arm. Cam I8 is secured on a cam shaft which extends back and is driven from the main crankshaft of the machine, not here shown.

During each cycle of the machine, the arm I6 is rocked by cam l 8 to shear off a blank and carry the same into alinement with the die I l during the time the header slide 1 is retracting and then returns to its initial position to receive another blank while the slide is moving forward into engagement with the Work. Although I prefer to use this cut-off arm, it will be understood that my present invention is not limited thereto and that any desired type of cut-off mechanism may be used.

The transfer mechanism which comprises the features of the present invention is adapted for carrying blanks from the die H to the die I2 and from the die !2 to the die I 3, and so on for any desired number of dies in a particular series, and as shown in its preferred form consists of a sliding support or frame 2| which is slidably mounted on a slideway or shaft 22 fixed at opposite ends in arms 23. Arms 23 may be provided with eyes 23a fitting over a shaft 24 journaled at Opposite ends in bearings 25, the eyes 23w having laterally projecting shoulders engaging shouldered collars 23b fixed to the shaft 24 so that rotation of shaft 24 in one direction will lift the arms 23, but the arms 23 may be inde pendently swung upwardly about the shaft 24. The arms 23 may, however, be connected to the shaft in any other suitable way, as by being fixed thereon with set screws or the like. Secured on one end of shaft 24 is an arm 25, which connects thru the medium of a link 2! with a lever 28, the latter being pivotally anchored at 29 to the frame of the machine and having rotatably mounted thereon a cam roller 30 adapted to contact a cam 55 3| which is also secured on shaft 20.

The supporting frame 2| is free to turn with respect to the shaft 22 and is connected with the cut-off arm I6 by means of a connecting rod 32, so that oscillation or rocking of the latter arm produces reciprocation of said support. The connecting rod 32 is pivoted to the frame 2| at a point spaced from the center of rotation about the shaft 22, so that the connecting rod retains the frame 2| in the proper plane.

The blank carrying mechanism comprises a pair of depending non-pivoting or abutment fingers 33 and 33a which may be adjustably fixed to the sliding support 2|. The finger 33 is arranged or adjusted with respect to the frame 2| so that its inner face is in alignment with the edge of the blank opening in the die II when the arm I6 is at one end of its stroke and is in alignment with the blank opening in the die I2 when said arm is at the other end of its stroke. The finger 33a is similarly arranged with respect to the frame 2| and the openings in the dies and in this connection-it is pointed out that the disposition of said non-pivoting fingers with respect to the frame 2| may be determined by the blank diameter and the spacing between the die stations. A pair of pivoted fingers 34 and 3411 are arranged to cooperate with the fingers 33 and33a, respectively. Each of fingers 34 and 34acarries at its lower end a hardened wear plate 35 having a recess therein adapted to receive and hold a bolt blank. These movable fingers 34 and 34a are each secured by a set screw to an eccentric pin on a stud rotatably mounted in the slide 2| so that the finger may be adjusted to aline the holding recess with the die opening. An adjustable spring tension member 36 normally holds each movable finger pressed towards its cooperating fixed finger, and a stop member 31 serves to limit the movement of the pivoted fingers towards the fixed fingers. The fingers 33 and 33a are provided with wear plates 35a which cooperate with the wear plates 35, and these plates are formed with beveled end surfaces to permit the fingers to be forced open and snap over a blank.

In operation, during each cycle of movement of the header slide 1, the cut-off arm I6 acts to shear 011' a blank and carry it into alinement with the die while the header slide is retracted. During this movement the slide 2| is caused to move laterally due to the link connection 32, so that the fingers 33 and 34 move from a position in alinement with the die H to a position in alinement with the die i2, and the fingers 33a and 34a similarly move from the die I2 to the die IS. The header slide again approaches the dies and engages the various blanks to start their movement into the dies. At this time, cam 3| engages roller 3|! and rocks the shaft 24 thereby oscillating the arms 23, the support 2|, and pulling upwardly on the fingers 33, 34 and 33a, 34a, causing the said fingers to snap off of the blanks, leaving the latter in the dies l2 and I3 as the header slide continues its forward movement to press the blanks into the dies and perform the various operations upon the same. Arm I6 moves to the left carrying with it slide 2|, which is retained in its raised position due to the dwell portion of the cam 3|. As the header slide recedes from the die breast, slide 2| lowers so that the pairs of fingers 33, 34 and 33a, 34a move down into registration with I the dies II and I2 and snap over the blanks held therein.

When it is desired to obtain access to the dies |2 or l3 to replace or adjust the dies, or for any other reason, it is only necessary to remove the connecting rod 32 and swing the frame 2|, shaft 22, and arms 23 upwardly and rearwardly about the shaft 24, the shouldered eyes 23a and the collars 23b permitting this movement Without moving the shaft 24. If the arms 23 are fixed to the shaft 24 the same removal of the transfer mechanism may be effected by loosening the set screws or the like holding the arms in position, or the frame 2| with the fingers 33. 34 and 33a, 3411 may simply be swung back about the shaft 22. In either event ready access is obtained to the dies.

It will be noted that the transfer mechanism is relatively simple in construction and that the slide 2| and slideway 22 may be extended to accommodate any desired number of transfer fingers in accordance with the number of dies. It will be understood that various modifications and changes in structure may be adopted within the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

I claim:-

1. In a bolt making machine, a bed frame, a plurality of alined dies supported by said frame, a reciprocating header slide having a punch cooperating with each die, means for feeding wire or rod stock, a movable cut-off arm mounted.

on said frame and adapted to cut off lengths of stock and carry the same to the first of said dies, a plurality of coacting transfer fingers adapted to engage and releasably retain bolt blanks formed from the lengths of stock, a support for said fingers slidably carried upon a slideway mounted for oscillatory movement toward and away from said dies, means for oscillating said slideway and support to cause the fingers to engage and release the blanks, and means connected with said cut-off arm for reciprocating said finger-support on its slideway to effect transfer of the blanks from one die to another.

2. In a bolt making machine, a bed frame, a plurality of alined dies supported by said frame, a reciprocating header slide having a punch cooperating with each die, means for feeding wire or rod stock, a movable cut-off arm mounted on said frame and adapted to cut off lengths of stock and carry the same to the first of said dies, a plurality of coacting transfer fingers adapted to engage and releasably retain bolt blanks formed from the lengths of stock, a support for said fingers slidably carried upon a slideway mounted for oscillatory movement toward and away from said dies, means for oscillating said slideway and support to cause the fingers to engage and release the blanks, and means for reciprocating said finger-support on its slideway to effect transfer of the blanks from one die to another.

3. In a bolt making machine, a bed frame, a plurality of alined dies supported by said frame, a reciprocating header slide having a punch cooperating with each die, means for feeding wire or red stock, an oscillating cut-off arm pivoted to said frame and adapted to cut off lengths of stock and carry the same to the first of said dies, a plurality of sets of coacting transfer fingers adapted to engage and releasably retain bolt blanks formed from the lengths of stock, a slidable support for said fingers, a slideway on which said support is rotatably mounted, means for 0scillating said slideway and support to cause the fingers to engage and release the blanks, and means connected with said cut-off arm for reciprocating said finger-support on its slideway to effect transfer of the blanks from one die to another.

4. In a bolt making machine, a bed frame, a plurality of alined dies supported by said frame, a reciprocating header slide having a punch cooperating with each die, means for feeding wire or rod stock, an oscillating cut-off arm pivot-ed to said frame and adapted to cut off lengths of stock and carry the same to the first of said dies, a plurality of sets of coacting transfer fingers adapted to have a snap engagement with bolt blanks formed from the lengths of stock, a slidable support for said fingers, a slideway on which said support is rotatably mounted, a shaft extending in substantially parallel alinement with said dies for supporting said slideway and fingersupport above the dies, means for oscillating said shaft to thereby oscillate said support and cause the fingers to engage and release the blanks, and a connecting rod for connecting the support to said cut-off arm whereby said slidable finger-support is reciprocated through oscillation of said arm to effect transfer of the blanks from one die to another.

5. In a bolt making machine, a bed frame, a plurality of alined dies supported by said frame, a reciprocating header slide having a punch cooperating with each die, means for feeding wire or rod stock, a cut-off arm adapted to cut off lengths of stock and carry the same to the first of said dies, a plurality of sets of coacting transfer fingers adapted to have a snap engagement with bolt blanks formed from the lengths of stock, a slide to which said fingers are connected, a slideway mounted to oscillate above said dies, said slide being mounted on said slideway and adapted to have free rotation with respect to the latter, means for oscillating said slideway to raise and lower the slide and cause the fingers to engage and release the blanks, and means connected with said cut-off arm for reciprocating said slide on its slideway to effect transfer of the blanks from one die to another.

6. In a bolt making machine, a bed frame, a plurality of alined dies supported by said frame, a reciprocating header slide having a punch cooperating with each die, means for feeding wire or rod stock, means for cutting off lengths of stock and carrying the same to the first of said dies, a plurality of sets of coacting transfer fingers adapted to engage and releasably retain bolt blanks formed from the lengths of stock, a slidable support for said fingers, means for oscillating said support to cause the fingers to engage and release the blanks, and means for reciprocating said support to effect transfer of the blanks from one die to another.

7. In a bolt making machine, a bed frame, a reciprocating slide mounted therein, said bed frame being formed with a die breast carrying a line of dies cooperating with said slide, means for transferring blanks from one die to another including a shaft arranged substantially parallel to said line of dies, a carriage operatively associated with said shaft and carrying a plurality of sets of fingers extending toward said dies, each set of fingers being positioned and arranged to grip a blank ejected from one of said dies and carry the same to another die, said shaft being arranged to be actuated to move said carriage toward and 5 away from said dies, means for reciprocating said carriage with respect to said line of dies, and said carriage being pivotally associated with said shaft so that it may be swung back out of the way to permit access to said dies. 10

8. In a bolt making machine, a bed frame, a line of horizontally arranged dies mounted in said frame, a reciprocating header slide arranged to cooperate with said dies to work upon blanks held therein, a cut-off arm arranged to act in timed 15 relation to said slide, and means for transferring blanks from one of said dies to another, said means comprising an operating shaft, a slideway carried by said shaftand adapted to be raised and lowered thereby, and a carriage swingably mount- 20 ed on said slideway and having an operative connection with said cut-off arm, said carriage being arranged to be swung back clear of the dies upon being disconnected from said arm.

9. In a machine for working blanks, a bed 25 frame formed with a die breast carrying a line of dies, means for transferring blanks from one of said dies to another including a plurality of coacting transfer fingers adapted to engage and releasably retain blanks worked in said dies, a 30 slidable support for said fingers, means for swinging said support through an arc to cause the fingers to engage and release the blanks and means for reciprocating said support to effect transfer of the blanks from one die to another.

10. In a machine for Working blanks, a bed frame formed with a die breast carrying a line of dies, means for transferring blanks from one of said dies to another including a plurality of coacting transfer fingers adapted to engage and 1) releasably retain blanks Worked in said dies, a slidable support for said fingers, means for swinging said support through an arc to cause the fingers to engage and release the blanks and means for reciprocating said support to effect a 4 transfer of the blanks from one die to another, said support being pivotally mounted on said bed frame on an axis spaced from said line of dies in such a manner that said fingers and support may be swung bodily to carry said sets of fingers 50 out of alignment with said dies and permit access thereto.

11. In a machine for working blanks, a bed frame, a reciprocating slide mounted therein, said bed frame being formed with a die breast carrying a line of dies co-operating with said slide, means for transferring blanks from one die to another comprising a transfer frame pivoted to the bed frame upon an axis arranged parallel to and spaced from said line of dies, a transfer carriage provided with a plurality of pivoted blank engaging fingers pivoted to said transfer frame upon an axis arranged parallel to and spaced from said line of dies and means operating in timed relation to said header slide reciprocation 65 to move said transfer carriage to effect blank transferring movement.

WILLIAM L. CLOUSE. 

